Multi-award-winning Rye painter, Barbara Tyson built enviable parallel careers. Most notably an Archibald Prize finalist and winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Salon des Refusés, amongst other art accolades, she also had a successful career in magazine publishing.
As a girl growing up in Sydney, Barbara was bursting with creative energy. She loved doodling, drawing, and experimenting with art and crafts. Her favourite photograph is of herself at six years old, perched on a table painting in the back garden.
While her artistic talent was clear, she was told she’d never get anywhere in life without being an academic. Even her parents insisted she’d have to get ‘a real job’. Despite the naysayers, Barbara excelled at the prestigious East Sydney School of Art.
“Being around like-minded people meant I could truly express myself. It was fantastic to be surrounded by clever, talented people. Art fills my cup from the inside. It keeps me grounded. Being creative is something no one can take away from me,” she says.
Barbara studied anatomy, life drawing, painting, colour theory, mixed media, colour mixing and watercolour painting. Most importantly, she learned a way of seeing the world with an artist’s understanding of composition and perspective – skills that would serve both her careers.
As with many artists, Barbara’s compromise was to get a Diploma in Graphic Design because it would lead to that ‘real job’. This turned out to be a blessing as she ended up working with some of the true greats in Australian magazine publishing.
Barbara won top marks in Graphic Design. Her prize was a paid job at Family Circle magazine. When the artistic director moved over to Cleo magazine, he took Barbara with him. She worked as an artist/illustrator and was mentored by publishing icon Ita Buttrose.
Ita was wonderful to work with. She was an outspoken force to be reckoned with
“I was so lucky. Ita was wonderful to work with. She was an outspoken force to be reckoned with, but so inspiring – beautiful, glamorous and still got the job done. She’s a legend,” Barbara says. Working with such a strong, independent woman provided Barbara not just with practical skills, but a way of succeeding in a man’s world.
Barbara spent many years working with Australia’s most prestigious magazines creating illustrations and layouts under deadline pressure. There was no editing software. Everything had to be done meticulously by hand. Under her own banner, Logo Graphics, she created corporate logos that are still in use today. Throughout her working life, Barbara had a parallel life as a painter.
Travel and working with great mentors over the years made a huge impact. She produced countless watercolour paintings while travelling in France, Italy and the UK. Her travels were the inspiration for artworks that won first place in two categories at Whittlesea Art Show in 1981, launching her art career. Many more awards were to follow.
Renowned watercolourist Alvaro Castagnet’s tutelage gave Barbara’s work a sense of freedom, movement, expression and emphasis on the play of light. Creative painting with David Hill and portraiture with Archibald Prize winner Reg Campbell taught Barbara how to capture the essence of her subjects.
Italian artist Roberto Coppa had the most significant influence. He took Barbara’s skills to a new level, teaching techniques from the old masters, impressionism, realism and abstractionism.
She learned to paint from her heart not her head.
In 2011 Barbara painted a portrait of Dame Quentin Bryce, Australia’s first female Governor General. She recalls driving to Government House in Canberra where she painted the Governor General in the main reception hall where people are knighted. “Quentin was a wonderful sitter and still managed to answer questions asked of her throughout the creative process. Painting Quentin changed my life,” she says. The portrait was selected as an Archibald Prize finalist.
The following year Barbara’s portrait of Ita Buttrose missed out on the Archibald Prize, but won the Salon des Refusés. In 2013 her portrait of Dr. Helen Caldicott was a finalist in the Victorian Salon des Refusés. In 2016 she was winner of the ANL Maritime Art Award. She was runner up in 2019 and won second place in 2021.
Oils are Barbara’s favourite medium.“ I can use varnishes and layers to get the richness of colours. I can control the consistency, build up transparent layers and use opaque paint where the light hits the subject,” she says.
“I know enough about technique to control the viewer’s gaze. I’m old enough to paint with a depth of life’s knowledge. I paint from a place of feeling that people connect with,” she says. They do. Her paintings hang in collections across Europe, the UK, North America, Hong Kong, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand and Australia.
The Mornington Peninsula provides endless inspiration. Whether she’s painting sailing yachts, swimmers at the local beach or waves crashing on the shore, there’s always something to capture. Barbara would love to get out and paint en plein air with other local artists.
She just completed a bronze sculpture course adding a new string to her bow. One thing is for sure, Barbara will never run out of creative drive or inspiration. Her life is a beautiful canvas.
W: barbaratysonart.com.au
IG: @barbaratysonart